Envelope



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WEST.

ENVELOPE. No. 461,724. Patented 0015.20, 1891.

wig-n-" N U {5 1 R q 3 E (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- J. WEST.

ENVELOPE. No. 461,724.. Patented Oct. 20, 1891.

JM/ue/wbo c NITEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE...

JAMES WEST, OF sr. Louis, MIssoUEI, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro SAMUELCUPPLES, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,724, dated October20, 1891.

Application filed January 8, 1890. Serial No. 336,257. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES 'WEsT, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Envelopes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of envelopes in which the'backs andfronts are provided with inturned folds that are eemented together; andmy invention consists in providing such envelopes with infolds connectedto each other and to the back, the front infolds having tongues thatcover the edges of the folds and hold the latter in connection with theback section of the envelope, as fully set forth hereinafter, and asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating the construction of envelopes of thatclass upon which my envelope is an improvement. Fig. 2 is an edge viewlooking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 areviews illustrating the manner of constructing my improved envelope. Fig.6 is a view illustrating the improved envelope. I

In that class of envelopes each formed from a sheet or blank inturned atthe edges to form edge-folds h c, the former on the 0 front side or facee and the latter upon the back cl, said folds have heretofore beenpasted together face to face, and the fold b has been pasted against theinner face of the front 6 of the envelope. This construction has provedobjectionable for two reasons: first, because the pasting of the foldsto the front portions of the envelope wrinkles the latter and renders itmore rigid at such parts than elsewhere, detracting from its finishedappearance and interferfering with the printing of the face; second,because the edge a: of the fold b and the top edge of the folds c occupysuch a position that inserting cards and other matter in the envelopethe corners or edges thereof will catch under the said edges 00 and y orstrike the same so that their insertion is obstructed, therebyinterferingwith the packing of the envelopes and impairing theirefficiency with circulars, &c., where it is very desirable to inclosethe mail-matter rapidly. To obviate these obj ections I construct theenvelope of a blank or strip A, which is first folded upon the lines 1 2to form the inturned folds, which thereafter constitute the folds b 0.After being so folded, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, the blank is cutat opposite edges to form notches 5, Fig. 3, or is otherwise slit orcut,

so as to form the edge I) of that part of the sheet which afterwardconstitutes the flap f, and so also as to leave a loose flap g at. theend of the fold Z). The blank is then folded across the center on theline w, and the faces of the infolds b c are brought together and pastedone to the other, and preferably the face of the fold c is pastedagainst the inner face of the back cl, so that the paste is not appliedto any portion of the front of the envelope, which therefore has aheater finish and is better adapted to be printed upon than whenthe'envelope is made as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tongues g are nowfolded over the edges y of the folds c and over the edges of the back dof the envelope and down upon and are pasted to the back, as illustratedin Fig. 6, showing the completed onvelope. By thus doubling the tongues9 down upon and securing them to the back,

as described, the folds b c are held close to the back in case they arenot pasted thereto, while in any event the edge 11 is covered instead ofbeing exposed, as in Fig. 1, while there are not edges 00 upon the frontof the envelope, as in Fig. 1, and there is no obstruction to the readyinsertion of the matter to be enveloped.

I have shown the tongues g as formed by cutting notches z in the blank,as described; but they may be formed by simply slitting. the blank or inany other suitable manner, and they may be of any desired shape andproportion, as also maybe the envelope it self.

Withoutlimiting myself to the precise form and proportions shown, Iclaim An envelope provided with infolds b cupon both the front and backportions, cemented name to this specification in the presence oftogether and to the back of the envelope, with two subscribingwitnesses. tongues extending from the infolds of the front portion ofthe envelope and folded over 5 and cemented to the back of the envelope,\Vitnesses:

substantially as described. J. S. BARKER,

In testimony whereof I have signed lnyl CHARLES E. FOSTER.

J AME VEST.

